Mercenaries/Session 31
20:00 <~abudhabi> GENTLEMEN. 20:00 <~abudhabi> Where's everyone? 20:00 * Remmon is hiding 20:01 < Nuramor> Stellaris that good, yes? 20:04 -!- Liam Liam@Nightstar-4dvhla.range31-54.btcentralplus.com has joined #Traveller 20:04 <~abudhabi> OK. Now all we need is maz. 20:05 -!- Liam is now known as Vittorio 20:05 -!- Remmon is now known as Arthur 20:06 -!- Nuramor is now known as Lucas 20:09 <~abudhabi> Anyway. Last week, you have demolished a NEC boat, and hightailed it back to Persephone. 20:09 <~abudhabi> Where there's a battle over the asteroids. 20:09 <~abudhabi> Arthur got invited to the Viscount's war room for submitting a report he did not even write. 20:10 <&Arthur> Didn't even read either. 20:10 <~abudhabi> An aircar shows up on schedule to pick Arthur up from the starport. 20:11 <&Arthur> (Agent Dogen was our BuZho guy, right?) 20:12 <~abudhabi> Yes. 20:12 * Arthur invites Dogen along. 20:12 <~abudhabi> Dogen comes along. 20:13 * Vittorio will stay with the ship 20:14 * Lucas too 20:15 <~abudhabi> The air car takes you over the somewhat densely populated capital city, to the mountain compound where the Viscount's estate is located. 20:16 <~abudhabi> You are provided breathing masks, which are required on the planet, if one does not want to grow alien shrooms in their lungs. 20:17 * Arthur brought his own. Never trust someone else's breathing gear. 20:18 <~abudhabi> An adjutant comes to escort you to the war room. All the visible guard posts, SAM sites and MG nests are manned and the soldiers look anxious. 20:19 * Arthur hopes there'll be no fighting in the war room 20:22 <~abudhabi> The war room is in the center of the compound. When you enter, you recognize the Viscount - large man, in an Army general's uniform - and four other men, nobility from the looks of them. The guards are neatly composed into the wallpapers, barely noticeable. 20:22 -!- NSGuest46996 is now known as luffy 20:22 < luffy> ((sorry was on phone with my boss)) 20:23 <~abudhabi> "Ah, Bowen. About time. Meet the Council of Merchants - the ones with actual balls to stick around, at least - we were just disseminating your report." 20:23 <~abudhabi> "Who's the mountain man?" 20:23 <~abudhabi> He indicates Dogen. 20:24 <&Arthur> "I believe it would be best if I let him introduce himself." 20:25 <~abudhabi> "Agent Dogen, BuZho, my lord." 20:26 <~abudhabi> "He bows." 20:26 <~abudhabi> -"" 20:26 <~abudhabi> Viscount: "A spook? Is that how you got all this data?" 20:29 <&Arthur> "That would have been much safer. But no. We entered the Crout system and encountered a small NEC vessel." 20:29 <&Arthur> "It engaged us, we destroyed it. All of the intelligence we gathered was gathered during that fight and the scans of the surface we made before hand." 20:31 <~abudhabi> One of the Merchants: "We need some clarification on the finer points of some of the more... speculative issues." 20:32 <&Arthur> "I will do my best to answer your questions." 20:35 <~abudhabi> Merchant #2: "Do you really think that the N.E.C. is," he reads from a holopad, "'72% likely to dominate known human space within 11 years'?'" 20:39 <&Arthur> "The report that was submitted was created primarily by our artificial intelligence. It made those estimates based on the data available to it at the time. I expect that data was fairly incomplete." 20:40 <~abudhabi> Viscount: "AI?" 20:40 <~abudhabi> Merchant #1: "You mean an actual artificial intelligence?" 20:40 <~abudhabi> Everyone looks concerned. 20:41 <&Arthur> "According to the science crews at Research station Beta, it is not an actual artificial intelligence." 20:42 <~abudhabi> Viscount: "How does it make a report THIS good?!" 20:43 <~abudhabi> Viscount: "That thing just passed the damn Churning Test or whatever!" 20:44 <&Arthur> "Once our current situation is under control, my plan is still to ship it down to Deneb sector where they have a research station dedicated to AI research. I hope they'll be able to extract some useful information and technology from it." 20:45 <&Arthur> "For now, it has helped my crew and myself on multiple occassions." 20:46 <~abudhabi> Roll Soc + Persuade. 20:46 <&Arthur> !2d6+2: SocPersuade! 20:46 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "SocPersuade!": (4+1)+2. Total: 7. 20:48 <~abudhabi> Viscount: "The Imperium bans such things - and for good reason! Have that thing destroyed, or buried beneath a mile of concrete--" 20:49 -!- Red_Queen Z@Nightstar-rshgm5.cust.comxnet.dk has joined #Traveller 20:49 -!- mode/#Traveller Red_Queen Red_Queen by ChanServ 20:49 <~abudhabi> Dogen: "It is property of the Zhodani Bureau. Out of your jurisdiction, my lord." 20:49 <~abudhabi> !roll 2d6+2 20:49 <+PainBot> abudhabi rolled "2d6+2": (5+1)+2. Total: 8. 20:51 <~abudhabi> The Viscount facepalms. "The bureaucracy will doom us long before we are all assimilated by this new threat. Fine, have your damn not-AI, I can't compel you to get rid of it." 20:52 -!- Crossfire Z@Nightstar-rshgm5.cust.comxnet.dk has quit timeout: 121 seconds 20:52 <~abudhabi> Merchant #1: "Might we return to the matter at hand? There are still some things that we'd like to have clarified." 20:53 <&Arthur> "Yes, please. I take it you have more questions?" 20:56 <~abudhabi> Arthur: They do indeed. Roll Int + Deception or Int/Edu + Science (Robotics/Cybernetics). 20:57 <&Arthur> !2d6+5: IntDeception. If the comms work, I can use Lucas to get some answer out of the AI 20:57 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "IntDeception. If the comms work, I can use Lucas to get some answer out of the AI": (5+3)+5. Total: 13. 20:57 <~abudhabi> !roll 1d6 20:57 <+PainBot> abudhabi rolled "1d6": (6). Total: 6. 20:57 <~abudhabi> You are able to patch through to Lucas, who can hook you up to the AI for answers. 21:00 < Lucas> @Want me to connect you to the AI directly?@ 21:00 <&Arthur> @That will work fastest, go ahead.@ 21:01 * Lucas connects the communication line to Arthur directly with the AI 21:01 <~abudhabi> Arthur cheats his way through the clarification session, which takes about two hours. In the process he learns a few things which weren't in the executive summary, mostly some prognostication, strength assesments and minutiae of underlying technical solutions. Both of which are pretty dire. The case for the relatively quick conquest of all polities directly adjacent to the Trojan Reach is pretty strong 21:01 <~abudhabi> . 21:02 <~abudhabi> The best hope the AI was able to come up with is civil war among the N.E.C. itself. 21:04 <~abudhabi> Viscount: "Dismissed, spooks. Go back to whatever you were doing. I hope for everyone's sake that you don't make it worse." 21:05 <&Arthur> "I fear this situation's going to get a lot worse before it gets better." 21:06 <&Arthur> "I wish you the best of luck, Lord." 21:06 * Arthur departs 21:06 <~abudhabi> Dogen does so too. 21:07 <~abudhabi> The Merchants and the Viscount go back to planning the continued defense of their system. 21:07 <~abudhabi> You are returned to the starport the same way to you came. 21:11 <&Arthur> @Well. Anybody know anything about nanites and how to stop 'em?@ 21:11 < Vittorio> @dont let them touch you?@ 21:13 <&Arthur> @That's avoidance, not stopping.@ 21:13 < Lucas> @EMP maybe?@ 21:13 <&Arthur> @We know they can't survive high heat and they don't work effectively in high gravity.@ 21:13 <~abudhabi> @Bathing the room in plasma?@ 21:13 <&Arthur> @EMP might work. We can protect ourselves and our equipment from EMPs reasonably well.@ 21:14 <&Arthur> @Around worlds with a sufficient atmosphere and magnetosphere, we could generate some pretty nasty EMPs by nuking the upper atmosphere, so that's an option but I'd rather keep the nukes as a last resort.@ 21:15 < Vittorio> @what nukes?@ 21:15 <&Arthur> @The Imperium has plenty of those.@ 21:17 <&Arthur> @AI, any thoughts on keeping the nanites out or neutralising them before they have a chance to affect us?@ 21:17 <~abudhabi> @Define: Us.@ 21:17 <&Arthur> @At a minimum, the crew of our ship. Scale up from there.@ 21:19 <~abudhabi> @Suggestion: Move corewards at top practical speed.@ 21:19 <&Arthur> @That is a temporary solution at best.@ 21:20 <~abudhabi> @Non-temporary solutions: Not found.@ 21:21 <&Arthur> @Given what we know of the Junction facility, what are the odds it's got a way to protect from these nanites or kill them reliably?@ 21:22 <~abudhabi> @Capabilities of Artifact impossible to accurately gauge. Technological advancement in excess of N.E.C. is probable.@ 21:23 <&Arthur> @Odds of quarantining this mess at the Corridor sector?@ 21:23 <~abudhabi> @Define: Available forces.@ 21:24 <&Arthur> @All Imperial forces that can make it there in time, starting from the Deneb sector.@ 21:25 <~abudhabi> @Probability: Minimal. NEC expansion into spinward protectorates highly likely.@ 21:26 <&Arthur> @Junction it is.@ 21:28 <&Arthur> @Lucas, Vittorio, how long until we're ready to fly?@ 21:29 * Lucas checks the engines 21:29 <~abudhabi> Engines have not been stolen. 21:29 < Vittorio> @ready when you are@ 21:29 < Lucas> @Yup@ 21:32 <&Arthur> @We're six jumps from Junction. We'll get maintenance at Tenalphi and make a shot straight to the Sword worlds.@ 21:33 < Vittorio> @ok, if thats what you want, well get going now@ 21:35 <&Arthur> @Unless anybody's got a better plan.@ 21:35 < Vittorio> @nope@ 21:35 < Lucas> @Nope@ 21:37 <~abudhabi> luffy? 21:39 <~abudhabi> I'm going to treat that as a 'nope.' 21:39 <~abudhabi> Roll yer jump! And tell me where you're going. 21:40 <&Arthur> Tenalphi 21:40 < Lucas> !2d6+1+2: Chargin' the Jump Drive 21:40 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "Chargin' the Jump Drive": (6+2)+1+2. Total: 11. 21:41 <~abudhabi> !roll 2d6+5 21:41 <+PainBot> abudhabi rolled "2d6+5": (3+1)+5. Total: 9. 21:42 <~abudhabi> Welcome to Tenalphi! Excellent starport, moderately habitable, highly advanced and lawless. 21:42 <&Arthur> And a great place to get some maintenance done 21:42 < Vittorio> ((we also have battle damage to repair if i remember correctly?)) 21:43 <&Arthur> ((We repaired the battle damage. Did you get more spare parts to replace the ones we used?)) 21:43 * Vittorio pays for normal maintenance/lifesupport 21:43 <&Arthur> ((Okay, so we do still need some repairs)) 21:44 < Vittorio> ((anyone know the cost)) 21:44 <~abudhabi> Dogen: @Can we get the holes in the hull patched up? I want to use the common room without a vacc suit again.@ 21:45 <&Arthur> @We are definitely getting the rest of the damage patched up while we're stuck here for maintenance anyways.@ 21:45 < Vittorio> ((how much do repairs cost?)) 21:46 <~abudhabi> Spare parts costs. If you don't want to actually waste days of rolling EduMechanics checks, then 1000 Cr on top for labour. 21:47 < Vittorio> ((paying sounds like a good idea, how many spare parts in total?)) 21:49 <~abudhabi> 4 tons. 21:54 * Vittorio pays for repairs and busy 5 dtons of spare parts for the ship 21:55 <~abudhabi> Very well. 21:57 <~abudhabi> Buying anything else? 21:57 < Vittorio> ((refined fuel)) 21:58 < Vittorio> ((I make it two weeks till next mortguage payment still)) 21:59 <&Arthur> ((We may want to up front a couple of those. We're going to be gone for at least 3 months)) 22:00 <&Arthur> ((Our next stop is Beater, Agricultural, Non-Industrial, Garden World, Rich)) 22:00 < Vittorio> ((OK then, I will set it up so that we will pay the next 5 months of the motguage automatically - either upfront payment or timed payments from an account?)) 22:01 <~abudhabi> OK. 22:05 <~abudhabi> So, what's next? 22:06 <&Arthur> We jump to Beater! 22:06 <~abudhabi> Better roll it! 22:06 <~abudhabi> You might misjump! 22:06 < Lucas> !2d6+1+2+2: Chargin' the Jump Drive 22:06 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "Chargin' the Jump Drive": (2+2)+1+2+2. Total: 9. 22:07 <~abudhabi> !roll 2d6+1 22:07 <+PainBot> abudhabi rolled "2d6+1": (5+1)+1. Total: 7. 22:10 <~abudhabi> Welcome to Beater and by extension, the Sword Worlds Confederation! Nice, habitable world, but unfortunately somewhat depopulated due to frequent wars around here. There's a good spaceport here, but it's a fair bit away, given that you've jumped inaccurately and ended up in the middle of the planetoid belt instead. 22:10 <~abudhabi> Roll EduSens. 22:10 -!- Red_Queen Z@Nightstar-rshgm5.cust.comxnet.dk has quit timeout: 121 seconds 22:10 <&Arthur> !2d6+3: Edusensors 22:10 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "Edusensors": (4+1)+3. Total: 8. 22:11 < Vittorio> @looks like we're a way out, want me to make for the port?@ 22:11 <&Arthur> @May as well. Fastest way to get fueled.@ 22:11 <&Arthur> @See if you can sell some cargo too.@ 22:12 <~abudhabi> Just like in the Darrian Confederation, this place is heavily picketed. The warships are concentrated on the main world. 22:13 * Vittorio will take us in, get refueld and try and sell stuff 22:13 <~abudhabi> Roll me Edu + Science (history). 22:13 <&Arthur> !2d6+1-2: edunoscience 22:13 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "edunoscience": (3+6)+1-2. Total: 8. 22:14 < Vittorio> !2d6-1 : Edu Sci 22:14 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "Edu Sci": (4+4)-1. Total: 7. 22:14 <~abudhabi> Arthur: The Sword Worlders aren't very friendly with Imperials. You had better be careful not to offend. 22:15 < Lucas> !2d6+1-3:EduScience? 22:15 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "EduScience?": (1+4)+1-3. Total: 3. 22:15 <~abudhabi> Lucas: These folks must like swords. 22:16 < luffy> !2d6-1-3: History? 22:16 <+PainBot> luffy rolled "History?": (4+4)-1-3. Total: 4. 22:16 <~abudhabi> luffy: They totally do! 22:16 <~abudhabi> I mean, all their systems are named like swords! 22:17 <&Arthur> @Vittorio, be careful with these guys if you're going to try and sell our cargo. They're not exactly fond of Imperials.@ 22:19 < Vittorio> @I'll be as carefull as I can @ 22:19 * Vittorio will try and sell some stuff now 22:22 < Vittorio> !2d6+2+4 : Finding a merchant 22:22 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "Finding a merchant": (4+3)+2+4. Total: 13. 22:22 <~abudhabi> You are begrudgingly granted permission to land at Hallenport, the local downport. On venturing out, you will find that the humidity is something like 100% and the temperature something like 35 C. 22:23 * Vittorio will go find a merchant then - and try to sell our goods 22:24 < Vittorio> !3d6+3 : Sell price for Lux Consumables 22:24 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "Sell price for Lux Consumables": (2+3+6)+3. Total: 14. 22:26 * Vittorio sells the goods for 120% base price 22:32 < Vittorio> !2d6+2+4 : Finding someone to buy goods from 22:32 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "Finding someone to buy goods from": (2+4)+2+4. Total: 12. 22:33 < Vittorio> !d6*10 available lux consumables 22:33 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "d6*10 available lux consumables": (4)*10availableluxconsumables. Total: . 22:33 < Vittorio> !3d6+3: Purchase price 22:33 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "Purchase price": (1+1+3)+3. Total: 8. 22:34 * Vittorio will pass on this deal 22:35 < Vittorio> !3d6+3+3 : Purchase price for basic consumables 22:35 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "Purchase price for basic consumables": (1+3+3)+3+3. Total: 13. 22:35 < Vittorio> !d6*10: available 22:35 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "available": (3)*10. Total: 30. 22:37 * Vittorio will buy 7 tons of basic consumables at 85% base price 22:37 < Vittorio> @filled up the hold, its cheep crap but at least we're not flying empty 22:38 <&Arthur> @Good. Let's scram.@ 22:39 * Vittorio scrams 22:39 < Lucas> !2d6+1+2+2: Chargin' the Jump Drive some more 22:39 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "Chargin' the Jump Drive some more": (4+5)+1+2+2. Total: 14. 22:39 <~abudhabi> I'm not going to roll against that. 22:42 <~abudhabi> Welcome to the binary system of Colada. Good starport, very habitable small world, relatively low population. You arrive on target, and are greeted by a large picket, as most elsewhere in these parts. 22:42 * Vittorio refueling and trading, thats what we're about and nothing else 22:43 <&Arthur> What the pilot/broker said. 22:43 <~abudhabi> Very well! 22:44 * Vittorio will land to refuel and try to sell our wares 22:44 < Vittorio> ((actually, just refueling - trade is at the next stop - not worth it here) 22:45 * Vittorio refuels and takes us back out to get on with jumping 22:45 < Lucas> !2d6+1+2+2: Getting on with the jumping 22:45 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "Getting on with the jumping": (6+5)+1+2+2. Total: 16. 22:49 <~abudhabi> Welcome to Entrope! Small, mostly unpleasant world, filled to the brim with people. Currently in the hands of the Sword Worlders. 22:49 <~abudhabi> You arrive on target. 22:50 <~abudhabi> Roll me Edu + Science (History). 22:50 < Lucas> !2d6+1-3:EduScience? 22:50 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "EduScience?": (3+6)+1-3. Total: 7. 22:50 < luffy> !2d6-1-3: History lol 22:50 <+PainBot> luffy rolled "History lol": (3+4)-1-3. Total: 3. 22:50 <&Arthur> !2d6+1-2: I did some research on this one already! 22:50 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "I did some research on this one already!": (6+3)+1-2. Total: 8. 22:50 < Vittorio> !2d6-1 : What do I know 22:50 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "What do I know": (3+4)-1. Total: 6. 22:51 <~abudhabi> luffy: Torment sounded like a better place than this. Has a much better name, for a start. 22:51 <~abudhabi> Arthur: The population is highly polarized into the pro-Darrian and pro-Swordian factions. You would best tread carefully. 22:52 <&Arthur> @Vittorio, be careful. This world tends to swap between Darrian and Sword world ownership on a fairly regular basis. And the locals do most of the work for that.@ 22:53 < Vittorio> @Got it, I'll avoid talking politics@ 22:54 < Vittorio> !2d6+3 : find a buyer 22:54 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "find a buyer": (3+2)+3. Total: 8. 22:54 <~abudhabi> Vittorio: You find a buyer. Minor problem is the lack of proper starport. 22:54 < Vittorio> !3d6+3+1 : Sale price basic consumables 22:54 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "Sale price basic consumables": (3+1+6)+3+1. Total: 14. 22:55 <~abudhabi> There are flat spaces here and there! 22:55 * Vittorio sells basic consumables at 120% base 22:56 < Vittorio> !3d6+3+3 : Textiles sell price 22:56 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "Textiles sell price": (1+2+2)+3+3. Total: 11. 22:56 <~abudhabi> A bunch of goons in uniform approach the ship as you are carrying out commerce. 22:56 * Vittorio sells textiles at 105% base price 22:56 <&Arthur> @Luffy, get suited up please.@ 22:58 <~abudhabi> Vittorio gets accosted. 22:58 <~abudhabi> There's eight of them. 22:58 <&Arthur> Are they accosting with words or are they getting physical? 22:58 <~abudhabi> Goon leader: "Let's see some import licenses." 23:00 * Vittorio looks them up and down (do they look like officials?) 23:01 <~abudhabi> Vittorio: They are uniformed. The uniforms pattern match to some sort of police or militia. 23:01 * luffy suits up per request 23:01 < Vittorio> "Import licences gents, of course" 23:01 * Vittorio will be attempting to bribe them ((what roll and how much money will I need to pay?)) 23:02 <~abudhabi> Roll Int/Soc + Streetwise. 23:03 < Vittorio> !2d6+2+2 : Int Streetwise 23:03 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "Int Streetwise": (5+2)+2+2. Total: 11. 23:03 <~abudhabi> !roll 3d6-3 23:03 <+PainBot> abudhabi rolled "3d6-3": (4+1+6)-3. Total: 8. 23:03 <~abudhabi> Vittorio: 8% of the profits. 23:04 * Vittorio will hand over 2300credits 23:04 < Vittorio> "I trust everything is in order?" 23:07 -!- Crossfire Z@Nightstar-r9lk5l.cust.comxnet.dk has joined #Traveller 23:07 -!- mode/#Traveller Crossfire Crossfire by ChanServ 23:07 <~abudhabi> "Sure, sure, your licenses are all in order." 23:08 <~abudhabi> They seem satisfied with your bribe and move off. 23:08 * Vittorio will head back to the ship and get ready to leave 23:08 < Vittorio> @all done, ready when you are@ 23:08 * Vittorio will have also refuled the ship 23:09 <&Arthur> @Let's go.@ 23:10 < Vittorio> "Punch it Lucas" 23:10 < Lucas> !2d6+1+2+2: Punching it 23:10 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "Punching it": (4+5)+1+2+2. Total: 14. 23:10 <~abudhabi> Yes. 23:13 < Vittorio> ((To nonym!)) 23:13 <~abudhabi> Welcome to Nonym! Unary system, small, barely habitable world. Home to some six hundred million people. Highly formalized governance. Darrian military base. 23:13 <~abudhabi> You arrive on target again. 23:13 <&Arthur> Fuel, maintenance, then Junction! 23:14 <~abudhabi> Very well! Roll it, Lucas! 23:15 < Lucas> !2d6+1+2+2: Let's roll 23:15 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "Let's roll": (6+5)+1+2+2. Total: 16. 23:15 <~abudhabi> You will arrive in Junction - next week! 23:15 <~abudhabi> Thanks for playing, and see you!